Definition

Multimodal AI is a type of AI that can understand and work with different kinds of data—like text, pictures, sound, or video—all at once. It combines information from these inputs to make smarter, more useful responses.

Example

Multimodal AI lets ChatGPT look at a photo and answer a question about it.

How It’s Used in AI

Used in apps that handle images and text together, such as visual Q&A tools, AI tutors, virtual assistants, and smart medical tools. Multimodal AI is more advanced than regular AI because it can understand the full picture—not just words.

Brief History

Multimodal AI became more advanced around 2022–2023 with the launch of models like GPT-4 with vision, Gemini, and CLIP. These systems can "see," "hear," and "read," allowing for much richer interactions.

Key Tools or Models

Top models include GPT-4 (Multimodal), Gemini, Claude with image input, CLIP (by OpenAI), and Flamingo (by DeepMind). These combine visual and language understanding in one system.

Pro Tip

Multimodal models are great for real-world tasks—but they need clear prompts and high-quality inputs to work their best.